Tetraodontiformes

C. travancoricus is probably the smallest species of puffer, and is certainly one of the more diminutive fish regularly found in the trade. It's cute looks, amusing personality and fascinating swimming action make it a justifiably popular import, although it's all-too-often sold without the correct information needed for its long-term health and care. It's also known as the Malabar puffer, in reference to the area of southern India that contains much of the species' natural r...

It is included in a group often referred to as 'red-eyed puffers', which currently contains four recognised species distributed in Indochina and the Greater Sunda Islands. It can be distinguished from C. borneensis, C. irrubesco, and C. lorteti, the remaining members of this group, by the following combination of characters: 11 dorsal-fin rays; 16 pectoral-fin rays; 11-13 anal-fin rays; 11 caudal-fin rays; eyes not bulging above the head; in males dorsal-fin hyaline, black spot on dorsal-fin base present, pectoral-fin base hyaline, anal-fin hyaline with no black spot at base...

Puffer fish are so called as they have the ability to inflate their elastic stomachs with water or air. This is usually a response to some kind of threat, although in the aquarium many specimens appear to inflate themselves for no apparent reason. The fish becomes 2 or 3 times it's normal size, which makes the fish both big enough to scare away many potential predators, and difficult to swallow. Many parts of the body of puffers contain the deadly neurotoxin tetrodoxin. This is the same ...

Tetraodon pustulatus

This species is relatively uncommon in the aquarium hobby but is available on occasion, sometimes mixed in among shipments of the congener C. salivator. These two can be told apart by the fact that C. salivator possesses a series of distinct dark bars on the head and body in both sexes, a colour pattern unique within the genus. It is also similar t...

This species is uncommon in the aquarium hobby. It is similar to the congeners C. borneensis and C. lorteti but can be told apart by males possessing a red (vs. bluish to greyish with black and white distal bands in C. lorteti) caudal-fin and lacking (vs. possessing) a black blotch at the base of the dorsal-fin.

Known from the lower Mekong basin in Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia, the Chao Phraya watershed in central Thailand, and may occur in smaller river systems between. Type locality is 'Thu-dâu-môt, Vietnam'.

This species is also referred to as 'South American puffer', 'SAP', 'Amazonian puffer', 'Peruvian puffer', or 'Brazilian puffer' in the ornamental trade. Within the genus Colomesus, C. asellus can be immediately identified by possessing a unique transverse row of dermal flaps across the chin which is absent in its congeners C. psittacus and C. tocantinensis.

Although it does penetrate the lower basins of rivers, particularly the Amazon where it has been collected from the rio Xingu several hundred kilometres from its mouth, this species is predominantly an inhabitant of mangrove swamps, estuaries, and other such saline habitats. It is particularly common in tidal channels, shallow inshore lagoons, and the lower reaches of rivers.

Puffer fish are so called as they have the ability to inflate their elastic stomachs with water or air. This is usually a response to some kind of threat, although in the aquarium many specimens appear to inflate themselves for no apparent reason. The fish becomes 2 or 3 times its normal size, big enough to scare away many potential predators, or difficult to swallow. Puffers also have several other interesting adaptations. They are one of the few fish that can actually blink or close their ...

Puffer fish are so called as they have the ability to inflate their elastic stomachs with water or air. This is usually a response to some kind of threat, although in the aquarium many specimens appear to inflate themselves for no apparent reason. The fish becomes 2 or 3 times its normal size, big enough to scare away many potential predators, or difficult to swallow. Puffers also have several other interesting adaptations. They are one of the few fish that can actually blink or close their ...

Puffer fish are so called as they have the ability to inflate their elastic stomachs with water or air. This is usually a response to some kind of threat, although in the aquarium many specimens appear to inflate themselves for no apparent reason. The fish becomes 2 or 3 times its normal size, big enough to scare away many potential predators, or difficult to swallow. Puffers also have several other interesting adaptations. They are one of the few fish that can actually blink or close their ...

Puffer fish are so called as they have the ability to inflate their elastic stomachs with water or air. This is usually a response to some kind of threat, although in the aquarium many specimens appear to inflate themselves for no apparent reason. The fish becomes 2 or 3 times it's normal size, which makes the fish both big enough to scare away many potential predators, and difficult to swallow. Many parts of the body of puffers contain the deadly neurotoxin tetrodoxin. This is the same ...

Puffer fish are so called as they have the ability to inflate their elastic stomachs with water or air. This is usually a response to some kind of threat, although in the aquarium many specimens appear to inflate themselves for no apparent reason. The fish becomes 2 or 3 times it's normal size, which makes the fish both big enough to scare away many potential predators, and difficult to swallow. Many parts of the body of puffers contain the deadly neurotoxin tetrodoxin. This is the same ...

Puffer fish are so called as they have the ability to inflate their elastic stomachs with water or air. This is usually a response to some kind of threat though in the aquarium many specimens appear to inflate themselves for no apparent reason. The fish becomes 2 or 3 times its normal size, big enough to scare away many potential predators, or become difficult to swallow. Puffers are also one of the few fish that can actually blink or close their eyes. Many parts of the body of puffers contai...

Puffer fish are so called as they have the ability to inflate their elastic stomachs with water or air. This is usually a response to some kind of threat, although in the aquarium many specimens appear to inflate themselves for no apparent reason. The fish becomes 2 or 3 times it's normal size, which makes the fish both big enough to scare away many potential predators, and difficult to swallow. Many parts of the body of puffers contain the deadly neurotoxin tetrodoxin. This is the same ...

Puffer fish are so called as they have the ability to inflate their elastic stomachs with water or air. This is usually a response to some kind of threat, although in the aquarium many specimens appear to inflate themselves for no apparent reason. The fish becomes 2 or 3 times its normal size, big enough to scare away many potential predators, or difficult to swallow. Puffers also have several other interesting adaptations. They are one of the few fish that can actually blink or close their ...

It is distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: anal-fin with 6-7 basal pterygiophores and 9 rays (vs. 10-11 rays in C. asellus and C. psittacus; dorsal-fin with 10 bas...

Puffer fish are so called as they have the ability to inflate their elastic stomachs with water or air. This is usually a response to some kind of threat, although in the aquarium many specimens appear to inflate themselves for no apparent reason. The fish becomes 2 or 3 times its normal size, big enough to scare away many potential predators, or difficult to swallow. Puffers also have several other interesting adaptations. They are one of the few fish that can actually blink or close their ...

Puffer fish are so called as they have the ability to inflate their elastic stomachs with water or air. This is usually a response to some kind of threat, although in the aquarium many specimens appear to inflate themselves for no apparent reason. The fish becomes 2 or 3 times it's normal size, big enough to scare away many potential predators, or difficult to swallow. Puffers are also one of the few fish that can actually blink or close their eyes. Many parts of the body of puffers cont...